Actor George Clooney Recovering After Serious Motorcycle Crash in Italy

If Clooney wasn't wearing a helmet, this could have been a much different story.

Two-time Oscar winner George Clooney is reportedly recovering after smashing into a car and being flung from his scooter headfirst into another vehicle while riding to the set of the Catch-22 Hulu miniseries, currently being filmed in Italy. TMZ reports that Clooney was going 60 mph when he hit what appears to be a Mercedes-Benz W210 that pulled in front of him. He flew 20 feet through the air and hit a different car which shattered his helmet on impact.

AP

Luckily, the helmet did its job and Clooney escaped a serious head injury. The accident happened on the Italian island of Sardinia and Clooney was rushed to John Paul II hospital in the town of Olbia. The 57-year-old actor was released on Tuesday with non-life-threatening injuries and is now recovering in his home on Lake Como in Italy. One of his representatives told The Hollywood Reporterthat Clooney "will be fine" but didn't release any additional details.

Incidentally, this isn’t Clooney’s first motorcycle mishap. In 2007, he was riding with then-girlfriend Sarah Larson and both were injured when they were hit by a Mazda in Weehawken, New Jersey. In that accident, Clooney suffered a broken rib and Larson broke her foot. Both were also wearing helmets at the time.

This accident is a sobering reminder of the importance of wearing proper protective gear when you’re on two wheels. If Clooney wasn’t wearing a helmet during this accident, this could be a much different, much darker story.